Gov. Edwards on the special session failure

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Delighted to be joined by governor Jon bill Edwards talk about the I don't know governor Edwards good morning you do got more about don't thank you do it I'm all right there was a slight two trains moving inside miles an hour colliding with each other. Well it was a little like that he would you know it is it really was wasted opportunity it is further stabilize our state and maintain the momentum that we got under nobly you'd that in terms of our tenure little implement the economic development and state that we have across the state of Louisiana and the investments. This stabilizing that we ordered been able to do I re education. You know if it's it's it's not terribly surprising you know election we have a fiscal session that we. We were supposed east interest fiscal cliff and not a single bill got out of house and now have a special session this year. To address the cliff and not a single bill got out of the house in. You know an historic recession Monday and will get back to the politicos are quite convinced they cannot pass a budget. That they its last 994. Million dollars in revenue and and you know it it was a wasted opportunity. And and but we're gonna get back to work. Tuesday and in short work and try to fix in Pakistan's ago on a meeting with. Some legislators to product. Get this thing started again. I'm gonna buy you brief here arrive written by Lamar like junior I believe this be a matter of public record in the scissors a remarkable moment Louisiana House of Representatives last Friday. A Republican legislator from Baton Rouge stood at the dais and revealed something about his own party's leadership. That many of surmised to be true for the better part of two years. We don't want a democratic governor to get reelected and we don't give them a political win by doing tax reform that was something that was still to me by party leadership this was. Representative Barry IV we placed politics ahead of our constituents. We should all be shamed it's seems as though the tone. Governor of the special session. Is Selig was more personal and business inning at very very nasty at some points. It did and that's unfortunate because you know served in the house for eight years in and it should be collegial body. Where you can air out disagreements. And on important matters that you can go to work to them. It's a you have to have the ability to travel and to have some trust people have to believe property that's state. And there's no doubt that what reps an about exits the fact two other Republican reps and it's made some comments from the floor house the other day. I don't believe. That opposition to be. Motivates majority. The Republicans in the house but there's a number of folks there. The will and the sacrifice the two will be merged and it's people and in order to try to deal mean today political defeat. And I and I think that is so shortsighted first laudable but the politics works for the moment because the people Louise martyrdom that they exceed whose work. And who has been seasons in its sincere about. Six problems in in this. And so. Hopefully they'll get. That probably we need to because this is not about me use them. This is about our kids and grandkids and that they can have all the opportunity for success right here in Louisiana that we will Foreman. And I content. A opportunity. Is synonymous with education today and we better funded education. K through twelve higher including our props it's when wanna keep our kids here and have all the opportunities for them. Enemy never do cut you off but I was singing a very thing 50000 students in the state benefiting from tops 141000 LHU alone. What would you say to parents who were watching all of this unfold and also tops money is gonna be there next year or not. Well well I apologize to that we should resolve this last year. And we should result in this in this session they should be wondering. Whether Topps is going to be there for next. He academic year whether they're cuter graduate engineers constantly aware that the radiant it. It shouldn't happen this way I'm determined to get the clip it to fully fund tops to cut education. No that's the situation today for the first time in years right now. We funded our educational without. And we fully funded the tops program in it has been a tremendous. Opportunity for our. Universe decent Community Colleges stable. And actually do about it requests for admissions. Across the state and wheezing and in all of our systems. From this all come about or record hops. And and that's what we need you know we eat it with some some challenges in Louisiana but had been too many well educated people want. Are we need to we need to stay on the road that we're on. Don't care if we don't have legislators here's here's about six in this clip in bodily. A couple of people missed this point. In 94 million dollar listed that these basics that's in red investment conference number that's the difference between the stage on forecast for this year or next year. There's actually one point 28 billion dollars. It's important revenue falling off the books so we read it in men and four on the revenue measures. They received reduction in the tax burden in the state Louisiana and even Vietnam War. There's a 120 million dollars in cuts will be required. And so people need to focus. A little bit on that when we don't have left because revenue comes in as forecasted or because expenditures. Have exceeded what we what we expected. It's simply that support revenue enacted two years ago falling off the books. And there was no way to pass a budget that adequately fund critical priorities without replacing net revenues now the good news is. The federal tax reforms that were enacted in. December oh got to produce about 300 million dollars more to Louisiana. But that's still leads this 600 in in nine B two million dollars short of the lip as I just identify that defined it. So as the week a significant amount of work to do I'm. But in that the budget even though witnesses say not fiscal sessions starts Monday the budget will dominate that session. And and so will this clip art and come up call on legislature to returner. So that we can have a special sessions it intentionally did not and they scheduled. Adjournment date for the regular session. We shouldn't have to pay another cent the podium to these legislators to go in and do this work. And so opt out call for them to adjourn early restore a special session Muster support as the budget. And then get away and watch what happened to at least watch watch all of the the wonderful things to contact the continue to happen across to. Very quickly and you busy former treasure current senator John Kennedy. Brings a contract so that time is there a lot of money to be saved from that is there any review process going on in it is costly as is made out to be. Well look at current contracts or possibly. And and we review them all the time and so does to try it slid committee on the budget. You know there's been an effort from many many years when you lead with just added to downsize state government and private test. You provost they services to contract. And so we have more contracts now. That debt or work more money than ever before the test but has urged state work force went from about a 100000 to 70000 people. And and the biggest contracts happened to do with this for example of the Medicaid program. We're in the decision was made to ease managed care organizations insurance companies to administer the program. Rather than haven't Secret Service administered the department hospitals which you can only do that with the contract. So so when people say we need to cut the size of government and privatized. Can you do that and in this it will without too many contract well what what is it that you will be what the big government. It runs in itself the contracts. Now we always have an obligation we take it seriously to review contracts mentioned that there are also has more than they should. And and we we take that extremely seriously. But that's while we have this many contractors as we did today. Governor aim represented everything users senator somebody's brief filed a bill in Portland veteran who has it. Edmund Jordan I'm sorry governor but about legalizing marijuana in it being a 60 for them for the budget so many times and never there's shortfall we hear about that. Which your views on all of that. I am not a legalizing marijuana for recreational east. I think that's shorts. Sighted approach to the budget. It is very most. Which is just simply watch what happens in those states that have. Legalized marijuana for recreational use in city what the impacts there or whether they're good or bad. And in one day with the benefit of that information maybe revisit this issue but I am 100% opposed to the recreational. He's in the long. Well and you still have an issue about whether or not it's legal federally rent. Well you do and an attack there are some challenges on on the on the dismal. Marijuana program because of the approach that the current attorney general taken in Washington and so it is it would and an inopportune time an appropriate time. In about. How do you wanna say it took to move forward which were operational barrel on each at least an easy one dead duck boat just continue to be optimistic we're gonna fix these problems we we have to. I'm back at work today. It is dimensional welcome back to meet with a fine group of legislators so that together we can kick start this thing in and get it done that distinction to our. We have too much momentum at least you know right now we shouldn't lose it. The coast to some people want a deal only some sort of a political defeat the cutter to being in the deceit. Not to families. To people all over the state Louisiana not not a social. Out of work two to bring everybody together. Pushed do the right to of the senate pushed the left of the senate and choose which can come up with a enough votes to fix our problem. Responsibly and and the wolf will have great things happen actually I appreciate your time thank you.